Spreading Christmas Cheer
by PinkFan-Gurl
Summary: While at Westover Hall, Bianca decides that it's up to her and Nico to spread some holiday cheer. Post Titan's Curse.


**This takes place at Westover Hall a few days before Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia get there to take Bianca and Nico to Camp.**

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Nico slipped out of his dorm, quietly closing the door behind him. Double checking to making sure that he had his Mythomagic cards in his back pocket, he began roaming the halls of Westover Hall.

He didn't usually sneak around the school at night, but sometimes when he felt like no one understood him he tended to isolate himself. The only friend that he had at this school was a guy named Grover Underwood.

Grover was an odd character. He was always sniffing around and looked timid all the time. He wasn't allowd to play in gym because both of his legs were maimed. But he wouldn't let that get between him and enchiladas.

The only other person in the entire school that Nico could always trust and count on was his older sister Bianca. Bianca was older than Nico by two years. She had dark brown eyes and long black hair that she always kept shoved up under a green cap.

Bianca was the only family he had. He didn't remember his parents. He barely remembered his life before he came to Westover Hall at the beginning of the semester. Even though Nico embarrassed her on a regular basis, he knew that there was nothing that would ever come between them.

Nico's bare feet graced over the carpeted hallway floor until he reached the elevator and stairs. He stopped short, knowing that the elevator would wake everyone up. Instead, Nico mounted the stairs towards the story above.

It was dark, but Nico had the place memorized. Sometimes he could see in the dark much better than any of the other kids that went to this lousy boardiscool hook.

Once, Nico had just imagined where he wanted to go and seemed to have been absorbed by the shadows and deposited in the location of his choice. He had been frightened at first, but had been trying to do it again since with no luck.

Suddenly, the young boy stopped short in front of a wooden door. It didn't look any different from any other door in the school. But Nico knew better—it was distinctively Bianca's door.

Without hesitation, Nico lightly knocked on the door. He wasn't sure if Bianca would answer. Her roomate, a red head named Amanda, didn't like him much. After a second of no answer, Nico made a move to leave, but the door knob clicked.

The door eased open to reveal a 12 year old girl with matted black hair from sleeping and her brown eyes looked tired. She was wearing black, red, and green plaid flannel pj pants and a black t shirt. "Nico?"

"You can see me?" Nico whispered.

Bianca rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Of course I can you goof ball. I can see in the dark too."

Nico grinned sheepishly. "right."

Bianca yawned. "couldn't sleep?" she asked sweetly.

Nico shrugged. "I don't know. I was just thinking about Christmas break."

Bianca nodded in full sympathy. The end of the semester dance was in a few days. Then all the kids going to Westover Hall would go back home to their families to spend 14 days together over Christmas break. But Nico and Bianca had no one else and would be stuck at the school for 2 weeks with nothing to do. "Want to come in?" she asked her brother.

Nico stiffened, then hung his head. "No. Amanda doesn't like me. I just wanted to say...Merry Christmas, Bianca." Nico turned away from his sister, but a soft hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Nico..."

Nico turned to find a grin on Bianca's face. "what are you thinking?"

Bianca checked to make sure her roommate was sleeping soundly before she stepped out into the hallway before closing the door behind her. "Come with me."

Nico eagerly followed Bianca down the staircase until they reached the main lobby of the school. It was against the rules to be out of the dorms so late, so if Dr Thorn, the assistant principal caught them, they'd be in huge trouble.

Bianca motioned for Nico to stay where he was while she ducked behind the desk in the main office. Nico felt exposed as he stood in thedarkness whlie his sister rummaged around in the desk drawers. Absent mindedly, he held onto his Mythomagic cards for safety.

After a tenseful few minutes, Bianca's head popped up over the side of the desk, a key ring with about twenty rings on it. "Success!"

Nico stared at her. "What are we doing?"

"Spreading a little Christmas cheer! This place is dreary town."

Nico cracked a smile, forgetting about his cards. "Dr Thorn is so boring and mean."

Bianca smiled. "he's like a walking butt."

Nico laughed.

Muffling the clinking of the keys in her shirt, Bianca crawled out from under the desk. She started smiling really big as she grabbed onto Nico's wrist and hauled him along after her. She counted the doors that they past until she stopped at one marked 'Custodians.'

Nico cast a skeptical glance at his sister, then at the wooden door. "Why are we breaking in to the custodial closet?"

Bianca shrugged as she shoved a key expertly into the lock. "I just thought it would be fun."

"are you serious?"

"Of course not. I heard some of the other kids gossiping about how Dr Thorn locks upall the holiday decorations to keep this place dull." The key made a click sound and she pushed the door open.

"And you actually believed them?" he asked her incredulously.

She felt around the closet wall until her hand found a light switch. She flicked it on and suddenly boxes of tinsel, garland, wreaths, and Christmas lights glittered into view. Light flooded into the dark hallway.

Nico smiled, doing his best to withhold a laugh. The other kids were right? He followed Bianca into the closet. Together, they grabbed a box of tinseldecorating wrapping them around stair-rails and pillars that held the castle like school together.

Nico pulled the heavy boxes of wreaths out from underneath a set of shelves. "we should hang one on all the dorm room doors!" he suggested.

Bianca nodded eagerly as she slid another box of wreaths out from beneath some shelves. "Great idea, Coco."

Nico frowned at his lifelong nickname. It made him sound like a labrador. He hefted the heavy box effortlessly but Bianca had a little trouble. When they made it to the dorms, they decided to have a race and see who could hang the most.

Bianca took the 5, 6,7, and 8 grade girl floors and Nico took the 5,6,7, and 8 grade boys floor. The two siblings ran around frantically and quietly, trying to beat the other. Whether met up again in the center of of the 6 grade girls' floor, Nico ended up winning by hanging up 16 more wreaths than Bianca.

Nico grumbled defeated when Bianca just laughed it off. "Want to go get the lights?"

"whatever!" Nico muttered.

Bianca poked at Nico in the tummy and he tried not too squeal in delight. "Lighten up, sour puss! Have fun! It's Christmas time!"

"Whatever." Nico tried to appear grouchy, but Bianca had a way of making that impossible.

The two jogged back down to the custodian closet. Nico grabbed a spool of white lights while Bianca grabbed a spool of multicolored lights.

"Go to the class hallways and stream them up and down all the hallways." Bianca directed him. She tossed him a pack of unopened tape.

"Where'd you get the tape?" Nico wondered, eyeing the tape.

"Dr Thorns' desk. But don't worry. I'll return it." Bianca replied.

Nico shrugged. "Whatever." He slung the lights over his shoulder as he made a break for the stairs that led to the classrooms. Twice he thought he heard footsteps, so ducked into half opened lockers only for it to be a false alarm.

He strung the lights up and down the hallway, mildly thinking how much his lights would look better than Bianca's. He may fight and tease with his sister, but he knew that she would always be there for him—she wasn't going anywhere soon.

After he finished admiring his work, Nico plodded along until he met up with Bianca at the main office again. "How're your lights?"

Bianca smiled. "They look pretty good."

"I think our work is complete."

"I agree." Bianca placed the keys on the table and slapped a piece of paper onto Dr Thorns desk:

_Merry Christmas, Dr Thorn!_

_Hope you have a great day and you stop acting like a bum!_

_Thanks for the tape._

_—as if we're telling you. We're not stupid like you_

"I like your note." Nico commented.

"Thanks. Come on. I have to show you something." Bianca snatched Nico's wrist and pulled him toward the boys' dorms. Nico let herpull him along as he tried to figure out who they would be going to see. Grover? He doubt it. Bianca didn't really like Grover that much.

Nico was surprised when they stopped in front of his door. Bianca thrusted the door open and pushed Nico in and let herself in. Nico wasn't worried about waking up his roommate—he didn't have one. Everyone was too annoyed or creeped out by him.

The room was decorated with lights and tinsel and Bianca had set up a small artificial tree in the corner near his bed. Nico spun around to face Bianca. She was holding a small wrapped gift in her hands and she has a bright smile.

"Now while we're cooped up in here for two weeks, we can always have the Christmas spirit." she told him.

Nico flung his arms around his sister. "Thank you, B."

Bianca laughed. She pulled away from her brother and held the gift to Nico. "Go on."

Nico grabbed the present without thinking, 'cause hey, it's a free present. He tared away the paper to reveal a small figurine. "Poseidon! I've been needing that one!" he exclaimed, hugging onto Bianca.

Bianca patted his back. "I know that you goof. That's why I got it."

Nico smiled at his new treasure. "Thank you, Bianca." Now that he had his new Mythomagic piece, he felt like his life was going to change soon. "it's so cool!"

Bianc ruffled his hair. "Merry Christmas, Nico."

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**Sorry that it's a day late. Merry Christmas! Please review. :)**


End file.
